Community of bisexual, pansexual, and sexually fluid people
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Thebisexual community, also known as thebi+,b+,m-spec,bisexual/pansexual,bi/pan/fluid community, orbisexual umbrella, includes members of theLGBTQ community who have shared experiences ofplurisexuality, defined as having attraction to more than one gender, as opposed to hetero- or homosexual people who only haveattraction to one gender.
Bisexual people are less likely than their lesbian and gay counterparts to be out of the closet.[6] As a result, there is a lot of variation among the bisexual community in how important bisexual people find bisexuality or LGBTQ identity to their sense of self.[7] Bisexual people may havesocial networks that are heavily concentrated inside the wider LGBTQ community; whether or not they participate in broaderLGBTQ culture, bisexual people may also participate in bisexual-specific communities.[8]
One of the first public acknowledgements of the bisexual community was initiated by bisexual activistStephen Donaldson, when in 1972, his Quaker group published a statement of support inThe Advocate of the bisexual community.[9][10][11] Another important figure in the early bisexual movement isBrenda Howard.
Bisexual groups began forming in the 1980s in several cities around the United States, particularly on the coats.[12]
People who identify as bisexual can receive specifically directed hatred and distrust (biphobia), stereotyping, and denial (bisexual erasure) from people of all sexual orientations, even within the LGBT community.[13]
There are many prevalent stereotypes that wider society holds to be true about bisexuals such as they are unsure of their feelings or going through a "phase" and will or should "decide" or "discover" whichsex they are attracted to.[14][15][16] On the other hand, there is also increasing support, inclusion, and visibility of bisexuals in theLGBTQ community.[17][18][19][20][21][22]
A series of groups have been working together and focusing on issues important to the bisexual community such as biphobia, dating,coming out, bisexual's visibility in the news and entertainment, and bisexual erasure. These groups are queer-identified and closely allied with the gay,lesbian, andtransgender communities, but their main focus is the bisexual community.[21][23][24]
There has also been amovement to combat biphobia and myths about bisexuals.[25][26] The bisexual community (especially women) can suffer from invisibility since it does not have its own established visual culture like much of lesbian and gay culture.[27]
The bisexual community comes together with the lesbian, gay, and transgender communities for bigger LGBTQ events such as LGBTQpride parades, civil rights marches and advocacy, conferences, and other nationwide causes where the interests of the communities intersect.[citation needed] Often, conferences have separate seminars on bisexual and transgender topics, and several LGBTQ pride parades now include special bisexual sections as well.[31][32]
TheNational Equality March as a national politicalrally that occurred on October 11, 2009, inWashington, D.C. - the first national march in the capital forLGBTQ rights since the 2000Millennium March. It called for equal protection for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in all matters governed by civil law in all states and districts. There was a specific bisexual, pansexual and queer-identified contingent that was organized to be a part of the march.[33] Several bisexual, pansexual and queer-identified groups includingBiNet USA,New York Area Bisexual Network, DC Bi Women and BiMA DC, came together and marched, showing bisexual, pansexual and queer solidarity.[34] There were four out bisexual speakers at the National Equality March rally:Michael Huffington,Lady Gaga, Chloe Noble, and Penelope Williams.
In October 2009, LGBTQactivist Amy Andre[35] was appointed as executive director of theSan Francisco Pride Celebration Committee, making her San Francisco Pride's first bisexual woman of color executive director.[36][37]
^Olivo, Victoria Barbosa; Prieto, Kaity; Copeland, Olivia M. (2024), "You Can Stand Under My Bi+ Umbrella: Exploring Students' Chosen Plurisexual Identity Labels",LGBTQIA Students in Higher Education: Approaches to Student Identity and Policy, IGI Global, pp. 90–110,ISBN979-8-3693-2853-8{{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link)
^Christina Richards; Meg Barker (2015).Sexuality and Gender for Mental Health Professionals: A Practical Guide.SAGE Publications. p. 116.ISBN978-1-4462-8716-3. RetrievedAugust 23, 2017.The identity 'bisexual' can be considered to be an umbrella term which includes all of the following groups and more: ... People who don't see gender as a defining feature of their sexual attraction (some may also use terms like pansexual, omnisexual or ecosexual – see Glossary).
^Lambe, Jaclyn; Cerezo, Alison; O'Shaughnessy, Tiffany (June 2017). "Minority stress, community involvement, and mental health among bisexual women".Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity.4 (2):218–226.doi:10.1037/sgd0000222.ISSN2329-0390.S2CID151690685.
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